


Oil and Water

by Magentas_Nightmare



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: AU fluff and smut, F/M, Merle and Carol FTW, Workplace Relationship, marol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:01:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27861193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Magentas_Nightmare/pseuds/Magentas_Nightmare
Summary: Merle likes to annoy his co-worker at Grace Lodge until he comes to understand her a little better, then it becomes more of a romatic interest;)
Relationships: Merle Dixon/Carol Peletier
Comments: 17
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Valleygirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valleygirl/gifts).



> Hope this is kinda what you were thinking of Valleygirl, it's not super long but I do plan to write more Carol and Merle in the future as well:) Thank you for the prompt! xo Teagan

> **Chapter One**

“Merle, I need the sanitary order brought up to the floor!”

There was always something. Merle couldn't do enough for the head nurse on 3 West and he had really tried too. Carol Peletier was a fine looking woman but she was a ball-buster if he ever met one. They were like oil and water and yet he loved getting on her nerves more than almost anything at work.

“I'll be there in a minute, I'm helping bring in the residents from church first.”

“Fine,” she answered dryly.

Merle hung up the phone and grumbled as he made his way back to the residents making their way off the disabled bus. Grace Lodge was a fair-sized senior home for the size of the town and it was a very busy place. He had been there almost a year and found that everyone depended on him more than expected. Merle was only ever meant to be the maintenance man but with his strong arms and gentle way with old ladies, he ended up being a Jack-of-all-trades around Grace Lodge.

“Mary! You little honey!” he grinned as Mary Walsh came doddering off the bus toward him.

“Merle...my one and only man!” she grinned.

“Come on, sweetheart. Lemme take you away and marry you. You still got a couple of good nights in ya,” he growled.

“You don't have to marry me for all that! Let's go now, you prude,” she giggled.

Mary Walsh was 87 years old and still feisty as ever, he adored her in a very honest way. Had they been anything like the same age, he would have taken her up on her flirting. Merle helped all the little old men and ladies in out of the chilly autumn air and delivered them to their different floors, ending up on 3 West where Carol was still awaiting her order.

“Don't look at me like that, woman. I'm on it,” he sighed.

“Merle, I need you to bring the-”

“Sorry!” he winked as the elevator closed and he was brought down to the safety of the main floor again.

He organized the order of sanitary products on a large rolling cart and headed back up to the dragon lady herself. She didn't need to know he called her that sometimes.

“Finally!” she sighed when he walked out onto the floor.

“You know I'm a very important man around here, right?”

“Uh huh.”

It was then that he realized she didn't think very much of him and the job that he did.

“For your information, Carol,” he seethed. “I do all the heavy lifting here, I do about 80% of all the cleaning and I take a minute to flirt with half the old ladies in this place.”

“What about me?”

Merle turned to see Agnes pushing her walker down the hall toward him.

“It's been a week since you flirted with me, you little shit!”

“Agnes, my love! Get over here,” he winked. “See, Carol? I'm very very important!”

“You're insufferable, you mean?” she scowled.

“You know what I think you need?” he grinned.

Agnes came to stand next to him and he wrapped his arm around her, still mid-fight with Carol.

“You know what she needs, don't you, Agnes?” he smirked and then whispered something very naughty into the old woman's ear.

“Oh my goodness gracious me!” she yelped. “You're a beast, Merle Dixon!”

“You like it,” he cackled.

“Well, I never said I don't like it, but you're a beast all the same,” Agnes laughed and then continued on down the hallway.

“What did you say to her?” Carol barked.

“Wouldn't you like to know?”

“I would like to know! That's not appropriate!”

“Yeah yeah, you don't need to treat them like children, you know? They're adults.”

“I don't treat them like children, I'm professional.”

“You could lighten up a little, my dear,” a little old man named Edgar chimed in. “You'll be grey before your days.”

“Thank you, Edgar,” she sighed.

“See? Lighten up,” Merle grinned.

“I might kill you someday,” she said.

“Yikes! I'm gonna go grab a coffee while you plan out my murder, shall I?”

/

Merle knew he should probably give her a break but she was always busting his chops and he got sick of it. She was head nurse and so she was well qualified but he didn't appreciate being treated like the work donkey of Grace Lodge. All the other nurses thought the world of him, it was only Carol that gave him grief and he couldn't figure it out.

The rest of the day went smoothly until he made it back to 3 west to see if everything was going OK before he left. He knew that one of their residents was on his way out but until then he didn't know how close Joe was to passing away. Merle was walking past his door when he noticed Carol holding his hand and speaking softly to him.

“It's OK, Joe...it's OK to let go,” she was whispering. “Mary's waiting for you.”

He got a little choked up when he recalled all the games of cards he had shared with Joe since he started working there. Merle could have sworn he'd pull through, but Joe was in his late 80s and sadly this was how things went sometimes.

Carol lay her hand on the man's cheek and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

“I'll stay late tonight, Joe...you won't leave this world alone.”

Merle realized then that Carol cared just as much as he did, but in a different way. He never assumed she didn't love the residents, but he always wished she'd be more fun. Maybe it just wasn't her style though and he had to respect that.

He decided to do something to make it up to Carol, she had probably been worried about Joe all day while he was being a pain in the ass.


	2. Chapter 2

> **Chapter 2**

Merle went home at the usual time and ate a quick supper but he couldn't get his mind off Carol sitting by Joe's bedside. He knew that the last year had been hard for her, getting divorced was never easy for anyone, but her husband had been human trash at its worst. Merle always felt like their joking around was a source of amusement but maybe she was just plain tired now. She had a young daughter to raise alone and to his knowledge, she didn't really have a lot of friends in town. Carol was never allowed to socialize much while she was married. Merle had only known her since just after the divorce when he moved to town and he always hoped to run into her bastard ex-husband. He wouldn't mind beating him black and blue just for fun.

Merle was compelled then to get up off the couch and see if she was still at work with Joe.

/

He knocked on the door to Joe's room as the sun was setting and she looked up to see him in the doorway.

“Truce?” he asked, holding out a tray with two cups of coffee and some donuts.

“Hey, Merle,” she smiled. “He just passed away.”

“I'll miss him,” he said and sat down next to her. “You OK?”

“Yeah, I knew it was coming but he was someone I just felt especially close to, I could tell him anything.”

“Joe was one of a kind,” Merle agreed.

“Did he ever tell you he used to be a policeman?”

“Nope.”

“He had 5 kids and was married to a woman named Mary for 54 years...and not one of his kids came to be with him today,” she sighed. “Makes you wonder what it all means.”

“You need to take a load off,” he said. “Have some coffee and a Boston cream and go home to a hot bath or something.”

“You're right. I need to pick up Sophia from the sitter's still.”

“Eat a donut first,” he winked.

“Why did you come back?” she asked.

“I thought you could use some company...and I want to apologize for earlier.”

“It's OK. Bickering is kinda what we do,” she shrugged.

“I love bickering with you, you know?”

“Yeah?”

“It's fun, ain't it?” he grinned.

“Keeps me on my toes, I guess.”

“I shouldn't be flirting with you in front of a dead man, but I think Joe would find it amusing.”

“Merle!”

“What? He would!”

“Alright, let's call the hospital to come pick him up, and then I'm heading home.”

Merle couldn't help feeling like she'd be different if he could just get her the hell out of work. He wanted to see her let go for once. She needed a good laugh and maybe a good lay too. The woman was tightly wound and if she didn't learn to relax it would pull her down forever.

“Carol?”

She was dialing the number for the undertaker and taking a bite of her donut and he figured it was as good or bad a time as any to try.

“Can I take you out on Friday night?”

Her face was priceless.

“Excuse me?” she asked with a mouth full of cream.

“I wanna take you out on a date,” he said plainly.

“If you're screwing with me, I'll kick your ass, Merle Dixon.”

“I'm serious. I wanna take you out and try to get that stick outta your ass for once. I wanna spoil you with a nice dinner, force you to dance with me, and then not let you go home till you let loose and laugh a little.”

She cracked a smile then and he knew it was possible to get to her.

“For real?” she winced.

“What's the deal with you? Yes, for real! Jesus! Nobody ever asked you out before?”

“Not really.”

“Seriously?”

“I was with Ed since I was 19 and he didn't really ask me out, he just kinda insisted we were a thing.”

“I wanna show you a good time, Carol, but only if you want to.”

“Well," she smirked. "Don't go getting cocky or anything, but a night out may be just what I need. Thanks."

"Come on, I think you'd really like me cocky," he joked.

"Good grief, Merle!"

"I just like making you laugh, Carol," he shrugged.

"I know...maybe I could relax a little," she sighed.

"And maybe I could grow up a lot," he replied. "So you'll come out with me?"

"Yes."

“Right on,” he grinned. “Hear that, Joe? She said yes!”

“Stop it, Merle!”

“He woulda laughed and you know it,” he grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

> **Chapter 3**

Merle stayed under the radar a little at work for the rest of the week, he didn't want to screw up the date for Friday so he decided not to tick her off.

By Friday afternoon, he had it all planned out and raced home from work at 5 pm for a quick shower, and shave. Merle put on a new pair of jeans and a dress shirt with his denim jacket. He had plans for them at a rough country bar that happened to serve the best steak in the whole state, it was also a place where he could get her to dance with him.

Carol's daughter, Sophia, was 5 years old and Merle wanted to bring her something to win her over a little but couldn't for the life of him think of anything. Carol said she'd be watching Barbie movies with the babysitter while they were out so he settled on whipping up caramel popcorn for her and the sitter. Besides spaghetti, caramel popcorn was the only thing Merle Dixon could cook.

He covered the massive bowl of popcorn with tin foil and drove over to Carol's place in time to take her to dinner and found her racing around her little house still getting ready.

“Sorry, I don't go out much and this little munchkin is being a little sucky about it,” she explained as Sophia clung to her legs in the kitchen.

Carol was in a gorgeous sundress with sandals and he could barely take his eyes off of her. All he could think about was getting his hands on her for a dance.

Merle bent down to speak to Sophia directly.

“Hey, kiddo...you like popcorn?”

“Yeah,” she answered softly.

“Do you like caramel?”

“Yes.”

“Ever had popcorn and caramel together?”

“No, is that what you brought?” she asked, eyeing the huge bowl in his hands.

“Yep. I brought it just for you, but you gotta trade your mother for it,” he grinned. “I promise I'll bring her back in one piece.”

“OK,” the girl relented. "Thank you!"

“Did you make that yourself?” Carol asked.

“I'm a super chef,” he winked.

Sophia parked herself on the couch next to her babysitter and Carol was free to go with him. The normally tough head nurse looked a little anxious, Merle liked that.

“Hope you're hungry,” he smiled as they headed out to his truck.

“This is so strange,” she said suddenly.

“You wanna go, right? I didn't pressure you, did I?” he checked.

“No, not at all...but this is kinda like a first date for me...like my first date ever.”

“Ed really never took you out?”

“He met me when I was working at a diner just out of high school, I was taking night classes for nursing and he just kind of pushed his way into my life. I was a little more timid back then.”

Carol made more sense to him then almost instantly.

“So that's why you're a tough girl,” he said.

“I don't want to end up in that position again, so being a bit hardnosed is probably a protective mechanism.”

They had only just sat down and already he understood her better.

“You be as tough with me as you like, cause I love it,” he teased.

“You must like fighting with me, you sure pick enough fights at work,” she laughed.

“I like that you're tough, but you gotta know that you don't have to ever worry about me pushing you around either. It's OK to let your guard down whenever you're ready,” he assured her.

“Thanks...so where are we going?”

“Harley's Bar and Grill,” he grinned.

“A little rough isn't it?”

“Hell no, they got the best steak you ever had and there's a dancefloor. I wanna take you for a spin and see if I can't get you laughing a little.”

“Alright but don't go getting into barfights,” she chuckled.

“Only if some man messes with ya,” he smirked. “I'll protect you, honey.”

“You're always turned on aren't you?” she sighed.

“Always. How did you know?”

“Merle, I didn't mean it like that!”

"Uh huh."

She laughed then and he loved it. Carol could be fun but he had to get her all the way out of her comfort zone. Harley's was out on the highway and he parked up in his usual spot under the neon sign.

Merle led her inside with his hand on the small of her back and she didn't seem to object.

“I can take you someplace fancier next time...if there's a next time,” he said.

“No, this is fine. I'm really glad you asked me out.”

He pulled out her chair at a table in the corner as a country band started to play up on the small stage.

“What can I get you to drink?”

“A beer?”

“Sure thing, they got some nice beer on draft here,” he nodded and returned with a pint for her.

“Thanks.”

“I like a woman who drinks beer,” he noted.

“It goes with steak, you did promise me a good steak,” she smiled.

“Best you ever had. How do you like it done?”

“Medium rare.”

“Alright, it's love,” he teased. “I woulda taken you back home if you said well done.”

“Never well done,” she assured him.

Merle ordered them dinner and they watched the band play as they ate. She had a decent appetite and he loved to eat with a woman who actually ate the food he paid for. She leaned back in her seat after the last bite and moaned to herself.

“Merle...that was incredible.”

“I don't normally get that kinda compliment till much later in the night,” he joked. “Sorry, honey, it was right there.”

“You're such a goof.”

Carol rolled her eyes but he could tell she liked it.

The band started to play a slow one and he insisted on dragging her out for a dance under the white string of lights over the dancefloor.

“I've never slow danced, so don't expect much,” she warned him.

“Sounds like you got a lot of firsts to get to after being with that fool.”

“I really do,” she sighed.

“We got lots of time,” he said as he pulled her into his arms.

He placed her hands on his shoulders and his hands on her waist but by the end of the song it was a nice tight hug as they moved. Merle knew it was more than just a date that was going well, Carol was different outside of work and if he wasn't dreaming, she seemed to like him a lot more than he expected.

> **When I think of you and the first time we met**
> 
> **And I heard the sound of your sweet gentle voice**
> 
> **My heart took me over and gave me no choice**
> 
> **And right then I knew**
> 
> **It makes me want more of you**
> 
> **Again and again**
> 
> **I fall more in love with you**
> 
> **Than I've ever been**
> 
> **From the moment you wake me up**
> 
> **'Till you kiss me goodnight**
> 
> **Everything that you do**
> 
> **It makes me want more of you**

Carol tried to keep her cool but there was just something about him. She always saw him at work in scrub pants or black work slacks, but now, in a pair of dark Wrangler jeans it was a whole other story. He was holding her so close as the music continued onto another slow one. They were the only ones dancing so apparently the band could read the room and knew they were looking for an excuse to stay close.

> **Everybody keeps tellin' me to move on**
> 
> **Oh but I can't seem to go anywhere without you**
> 
> **Cause ever since, and every single night you been gone**
> 
> **Sometimes, sometimes**
> 
> **Sometimes I cry**
> 
> **Cry**
> 
> **Sometimes I cry**
> 
> **When I can't do nothing else...**

There was no way she didn't want it to continue, for all the times he had wound her up to the point of growling under her breath, all she could think of now was kissing him.

His big hands moved down her body to just above her ass and she was melting into the moment so sweetly.

“You gonna come out with me again?” he asked.

There was no space between them and he was speaking mostly into her neck.

“Yes...I'd love to.”

“I don't wanna take you home yet,” he said. “How long can your sitter stay?”

“Midnight.”

“I wanna be alone with you for a while, Carol, but just say if you ain't ready for nothin' like that.”

She was more than ready, she was almost halfway there just from a dance.

“I want to be alone with you too.”

“Nice. Let's get outta here,” he grinned as the slow song ended and he offered a thank you wave to the band for getting him closer to his date.

Outside in his truck, he didn't seem to know where to take her so he simply slid over to her under the neon sign.

“Bet you never thought you'd be out with me on a Friday night?” he began, trying to lighten the mood.

“I really didn't. I never thought you'd ask me in a hundred years.”

“I was only getting on your nerves so much for attention. I don't bother the other nurses like I bother you.”

“You flirt like a kid, but I like it,” she smiled. “I needed a reason to laugh this last year and when I wasn't ready to kill you, I was laughing.”

“Good. I know you had a hard time of it with Ed and I'm never looking to make things any harder for you. I just like being with you and I think this could really go somewhere.”

She had to bring the issue of being a mother up before things got heated, it would be irresponsible not to.

“Not every man is looking to start something with a woman who already has a child.”

“It doesn't put me off none. I look forward to getting on her good side and taking her fishing and stuff.”

“Fishing?” Carol laughed. “She's a little scared of the great outdoors, if you can get her in a fishing boat God bless you.”

“I can lure her onto the boat with caramel popcorn and she'll be fishing and hunting before you know it!” he joked.

“Merle...I really needed this.”

“Needed? You better not be done with me yet.”

“I'm not, not even close,” she said softly.

“Come here,” he growled and she was pulled into his orbit so easily.

It was the last place she imagined herself kissing a man but it worked. Merle was a rough around the edges man's man and if the moment was right under an old neon sign then so be it. He kissed her hard and fast, stealing her breath and her heart in one move. His tongue slid into her mouth perfectly and she felt his hand on her waist a moment later.

Carol never felt like this from a kiss, she had never really wanted to kiss Ed, but had been far too afraid to stop it. Now she knew what she wanted and it was Merle Dixon and all the good things he was offering her. For the first time in her adult life, she knew she could let go and just allow herself to do what came to her mind. She was free to go wild with him and she planned to do just that. He liked her being tough and speaking her mind. Her strength had attracted him and there was nothing she was afraid to say to him. This could be a truly equal relationship where she didn't have to live in fear.

Merle moved his kissed down to her neck and urged her onto his lap in the dark. She couldn't for the life of her resist grinding her body down on his lap to really feel what he had going on. Just like that she felt high on lust and needed him in a way she shouldn't have. Merle started in on her breasts and everything went over the top fast.

“Damn!” he groaned. “I wanna take this a lot further than you probably do.”

“I don't know about that...if we had a condom around I think you could be in trouble.”

“...I do have one,” he said.

“Well then,” she grinned. “What do you say?”

“Are you fuckin' with me?”

“Nope.”

/

Merle went wild then and he didn't care about anything but having her all to himself. She didn't say anything about taking it indoors so he simply lay her back on the bench seat to find his way under her dress. She panted softly as he made his way up her thighs to her panties and he couldn't wait to be the first man she gave herself to willingly, not the last asshole who simply intimidated her into sex.

Down her body, to her knees, he lay hot kisses and then made his way under her skirt to her womanhood. He wanted to get her off good before he even dreamed of having sex with her and she surprised him by pleading for it like a wanton woman.

“Merle...please...oh my God, yes!”

He pulled her panties off and nudged her one leg down to the floor of the truck to get in close to her fire. Licking up the left lip and down the right, he had her right on the edge in a heartbeat.

She held his head right there and rolled her pelvis toward his mouth showing him that she needed even more.

“Don't stop,” she breathed and he had no plans to.

By the time she came, Merle was almost bursting out of his jeans for her. He never would have seen it coming but as soon as she floated back down to earth she hopped into his lap to yank his pants off and take it all the way home.

“Damn!” he groaned as she settled her weight down on him and he felt his dick slip between the sweet wet folds of her pussy once and then twice like the world's sweetest torture. “Fuck me, woman!”

“You want that?” she teased. “Grab that condom and let's go.”

“You're a demon,” he gasped as he reached into his coat pocket for it.

Merle was ridden damn near out of his mind that night. She wrapped her arms around his neck and fucked him hard and then slow and then sensual before going back to hard and his dick had never had it so good before.

“You're a mean little nurse but you're a helluva sweet fuck!” he cried out as he came.

/

He pulled up outside her home that night and he could tell that she felt out of her element. What would work be like now? Would they tell people about them? What did he think of her now?

“Carol?”

She was holding her purse in her lap and he could tell that she needed him to say something to make it alright.

“Yeah?” she winced.

“I wanna be with you, I think we're gonna be amazing together but I get it if you don't want people to know at work right away. It would put pressure on you and who needs that shit right away?”

“It's not cause I don't want people to know, but sometimes people at work can start drama. Not to mention that your harem of little old ladies will have my neck for taking you off the market."

“True," he laughed. "I get it. It's OK. And as far as things go with Sophia, I'll leave it totally up to you how close we all get as a group. I really want to get to know her and be a part of your lives but it's up to you how and when that happens. Just let me know.”

“Merle...you're incredible.”

“So are you, Carol. This is the start of something really good, I can feel it.”

“Me too.”

“And you go ahead and feel free to still give me shit at work,” he winked.

Carol came in close to lay a soft kiss on his lips and he was done for.

“I do love yelling at you...turns out it's good foreplay.”

“Then you just go right ahead and gimme all the hell I can take, woman,” he chuckled.


End file.
